Henry Litman

Henry is a second year MBA student at the Yale School of Management. Prior to business school, Henry worked as a Project Manager at Penn Schoen Berland (PSB), a research-based political strategy firm. At PSB, Henry worked on the political aspects of environmental issues such as crude-by-rail, natural gas transportation and exportation, net-metering, and nuclear power. Over the summer, Henry interned with the National Economic Council at the White House. At the White House, he focused on shaping government policy specifically relating to clean transportation and water infrastructure investment.

Although clean energy may not take center stage as the star employment generator in the Great Recession recovery, it plays an important supporting role, according to Jim Barrett, chief economist at American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. This goes above and beyond the economic benefits of climate protection reported by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Carbon Tracker Initiative has released a study that might surprise the general public. The global study, “End of the Load for Coal and Gas?,” found renewable energy is now more cost-effective than fossil fuels. These data conflict with conventional wisdom that coal and gas are the cheapest fuels available.

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) announced this July that it plans to host an event to bring together local bankers and regulators to discuss expanding community solar nationally. With only a few months remaining in 2016, the federal administration is taking small actions that may last long after President Obama leaves office.

In early 2013, Governor Andrew Cuomo pushed New York state to the cutting edge of state energy regulatory policy by appointing Richard Kauffman as Chair of Energy and Finance. As the nation’s first state energy czar, Kauffman has pushed New York to increase support for renewable energy and to reform regulation of utilities and the electric grid. Several other states may now consider creating similar positions in their own governments. There are good arguments both for and against doing so.